(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a manually operated dispenser that is connectable to two container volumes containing separate liquids. The dispenser has two separate pump assemblies that draw the separate liquids from the container volumes and then mix the liquids before they are dispensed by the dispenser. The two separate pump assemblies are vertically oriented and are manually vertically reciprocated pump assemblies.
(2) Description of Related Art
Manually operated vertically reciprocated pumps, often referred to as lotion pumps or hand lotion pumps, typically include a pump housing that is attached to the neck of a container containing liquid and a manually operated pump plunger that extends vertically downwardly into the pump housing.
The pump housing includes a pump chamber that is located in the interior of the container of liquid. A dip tube extends downwardly from the pump chamber into the liquid. A one-way valve is positioned between the pump chamber and the dip tube and controls the flow of liquid into the pump chamber from the dip tube, but prevents the reverse flow of liquid. A spring is typically positioned inside the pump chamber.
The pump plunger is tubular and has a liquid discharge passage extending through the plunger from a bottom end to a top end of the plunger. A piston is provided at the plunger bottom end and is positioned inside the pump chamber. A dispenser head having a directional spout is provided on the top of the pump plunger. The spring in the pump chamber engages against the bottom of the plunger and biases the plunger and piston upwardly. A second one-way valve is typically located in the pump plunger discharge passage adjacent the piston. The second valve permits the flow of liquid from the pump chamber upwardly through the pump plunger to the dispenser head at the top of the pump plunger, but prevents the reverse flow of liquid.
By manually pressing the pump plunger downwardly into the pump housing, the piston moves downwardly through the pump chamber and compresses the fluid (air) in the pump chamber. This causes the first one-way valve to close and the second one-way valve to open. The fluid in the pump chamber moves upwardly past the second one-way valve and through the plunger and is dispensed from the dispenser head at the top of the plunger. Releasing the plunger allows the spring in the pump chamber to push the plunger upwardly relative to the pump housing. This moves the piston upwardly through the pump chamber and creates a vacuum in the pump chamber. The vacuum causes the second one-way valve to close and the first one-way valve to open, drawing liquid from the container into the pump chamber. On subsequent manual downward and upward manipulation of the pump plunger relative to the pump housing the liquid drawn into the pump chamber is dispensed from the dispenser head.
The above described vertically reciprocating pump has been employed in the past in dispensing various different types of liquids from the containers to which the pumps are attached. However, the conventional vertically reciprocating pump dispenser has drawbacks when employed with certain types of liquids.
Certain liquids dispensed from conventional vertically reciprocated pump dispensers are the product of two or more separate liquid components that remain stable while separated but have a limited shelf life when they are mixed together. Reciprocating pump dispensers that are attached to containers containing liquids of this type cannot remain in storage or on a store shelf for a prolonged period of time before the liquid product begins to lose its effectiveness. To employ the conventional vertically reciprocating pump dispenser for dispensing liquids of this type and to ensure that the shelf life of the liquid product does not expire before the product is sold, the separate liquid components of the final liquid product must be mixed together to produce the final liquid product just prior to the liquid product being packaged in the containers and shipped to the market where they are offered for sale.
In addition, some liquid products are comprised of one or more component liquids that do not readily mix with each other, for example, a water based component and oil. When liquid products of this type are packaged in containers with vertically reciprocating pump dispensers, the separate liquid components that make up the final product tend to separate from each other while the product is stored in inventory or while the product sits on a store shelf awaiting sale. In use of a conventional vertically reciprocating pump dispenser with a container containing a product of this type, after the component liquids of the final product are separated out, operation of the pump dispenser would result in dispensing only that liquid component that had settled to the bottom of the container. In the oil and water based component example, only the water based component of the liquid would be dispensed initially from the pump dispenser. Once all the water based component has been dispensed, then only the oil would be dispensed from the pump dispenser.